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deecreatenola's review against another edition
1.0
I loved "The Art of Racing in the Rain" so it pains me to give a bad review to this novel, but I thoroughly disliked it. About half-way in I realized I just was not going to get into it; yet, I continued on just to get to the end. I didn't like really any of the characters. Of course, there are several here you aren't supposed to like, but I didn't even find the narrator compelling. In fact, I felt that it was so much from his point of view that you didn't see him or really get to know him at all. His dialogue did not seem appropriate for a 14-year old boy; maybe a 50-year old man trapped in a 14-year old boy's body.
The story is meandering and confusing with ghosts both real and made up. There is a ecological backstory, and family secrets, and a great old house, any of which could have been put to good use in a better story.
I hope this is an anomaly. I think Garth Stein is a talented writer, but he struck out with this one, at least for me. (Great cover, though.)
The story is meandering and confusing with ghosts both real and made up. There is a ecological backstory, and family secrets, and a great old house, any of which could have been put to good use in a better story.
I hope this is an anomaly. I think Garth Stein is a talented writer, but he struck out with this one, at least for me. (Great cover, though.)
mariesreads's review against another edition
4.0
A sad sort of haunted house story. I liked the atmosphere and the ideas.
tschonfeld's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. While many things in the story were predictable, it didn't really matter because the narrator was so engaging. And I did not see the end coming, which is always a plus for me. Good book club book.
kgentry4's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5 stars in this one. I liked the story, though it felt a bit overly drawn out at times, which made parts feel longer than necessary and made the book easy to put down.
aprillikesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The first time I read this book I loved it. Clearly my taste in novels has changed over the years because upon reading this a second time, I cringed at much of it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the old mansion, the hidden passages, the ghost stories, the history, but overall this was a really messed up story.
bookishlifeofbrie's review against another edition
3.0
I've having so much trouble putting my thoughts into words about how I felt about this book. It's no The Art of Racing in the Rain, but I can't compare a completely different book to that one despite the same person writing both. I think maybe this book just wasn't what I was expecting. An old house, ghosts, spirits, dreams...sometimes this concept is hard to capture without coming off as totally cheesy. At first, I didn't like it because it was just too much. But the more I got into the story, the more it worked for me. I love big, old houses full of history and stories. I love secret passages. I love the idea of being 14 years old and having acres upon acres of woods to explore on my own, on your own family's property. Stein paints a beautiful picture with his words, and "The North Estate" in Seattle, where this book is set, came to life for me.
I had some issues with the sister/aunt in the book. Her character was weird from the beginning and irritated me to no end. The father wasn't much better at times. The ending, well, that I didn't see coming. But when I look back at the book as a whole, and while it won't stick with me anywhere near as much as The Art of Racing in the Rain has, it was an interesting story and it "worked". It's a beautiful story in a lot of ways...of love, secrets, and family...but also one full of tragedy and sadness. 3.5 stars/5.
I had some issues with the sister/aunt in the book. Her character was weird from the beginning and irritated me to no end. The father wasn't much better at times. The ending, well, that I didn't see coming. But when I look back at the book as a whole, and while it won't stick with me anywhere near as much as The Art of Racing in the Rain has, it was an interesting story and it "worked". It's a beautiful story in a lot of ways...of love, secrets, and family...but also one full of tragedy and sadness. 3.5 stars/5.
holly_117's review against another edition
4.0
The start was a little slow, but it ended up being a good ghost story.
gracescanlon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Self harm
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Excrement, and Forced institutionalization
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"There are an infinite number of universes, all existing side by side, or so the scientists say. All existing concurrently. But we have only this universe in which to live; we can't have all the other universes. Of all the glorious universes we could possibly have, this is the universe we are stuck with."
This is a very in-depth look at a family. It's generations and generations going far back into the settling days and the building of the first huge estate of a railroad and forest tycoon.
But this is also a story told by a 14 year old boy, with little life experiences and still so much to learn. It's a bit of mystery, as he tries to understand where he has come from and all the sins of the fathers, but this isn't written as a mystery - this is a story about a family and what it took to survive.
This is a very in-depth look at a family. It's generations and generations going far back into the settling days and the building of the first huge estate of a railroad and forest tycoon.
But this is also a story told by a 14 year old boy, with little life experiences and still so much to learn. It's a bit of mystery, as he tries to understand where he has come from and all the sins of the fathers, but this isn't written as a mystery - this is a story about a family and what it took to survive.